Baltimore County man gets 2 life sentences for shooting 2 police officers in 2023
A Baltimore County man received two life sentences plus 30 years for shooting two Baltimore County Police officers during a multi-day manhunt in February 2023, a judge ruled.
In September 2024, David Linthicum was found guilty of four counts of attempted first-degree murder and related crimes.
Judge Garret Glennon handed down the sentence following hours of emotional testimony from both the prosecution and the defense.
"Judge Glennon gave very careful consideration to the appropriate punishment proposed in this case, and I have absolutely no qualms about what he did," said Deputy State's Attorney John Cox.
Two officers shot during multi-day manhunt
The string of events began on February 8, 2023, when Linthicum's father called 911 to report that his son was armed and experiencing a mental health crisis at their Cockeysville home.
Baltimore County Police responded to a home in the area of Powers Avenue around 2:30 p.m. When police entered the home, Linthicum's father led them toward a basement bedroom, where they encountered David sitting on his bed with a rifle.
Linthicum then opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, firing 16 rounds. Officer Barry Jordan was struck in the lower back and hip.
Jordan was able to exit the house with the assistance of fellow officers, who realized he was hit as they fled.
After the shooting, Linthicum escaped the initial barricade and disappeared into nearby woods, prompting an hours-long barricade situation and shelter-in-place order for the surrounding neighborhood.
The next day, Detective Jonathan Chih spotted Linthicum walking on Warren Road.
When Chih approached, Linthicum fired 14 shots from the AR-15, striking Chih in the face and arms. Linthicum then stole Chih's unmarked police truck and fled.
Chih was taken by ambulance and then by helicopter to Shock Trauma in Baltimore, where he later recovered.
Linthicum was arrested on Feb. 10, 2023, after nearly three days on the run, in a rocky area in Fallston, Harford County.
Trial highlights dramatic body-camera footage, officers' testimony
The trial featured dramatic body-worn camera footage showing the shootings and officers' desperate attempts to help wounded colleagues.
Officer David Allen, one of the officers who responded to Linthicum's home, testified about being terrified at the barrage of gunfire. Officer April Arnett, who also responded to the house, recalled debris hitting her face as she fled.
Jordan, who was with Allen and Arnett, recounted the chaos and confusion after being shot.
Detective Chih testified about being shot at close range, initially thinking Linthicum was a hitchhiker before the attack.
During the trial, Linthicum's defense argued that police mishandled a mental health crisis, deviated from proper protocols, and unnecessarily escalated the situation.
They claimed Linthicum did not know police were present during the initial encounter and that he never intended to kill anyone.
"Today the court and the state punished a mentally-ill person," defense attorney Debbie Katz Levi said. "The police and the state completely failed to take any responsibility or accountability for their actions."
Prosecutors maintain that officers acted appropriately, given that Linthicum was reported to be armed and dangerous.
"The argument is you're supposed to send unarmed people in to find somebody they don't know anything about who is reported to be armed," Cox said. "That's just completely irresponsible."
Linthicum's attorneys plan to appeal the sentence
Linthicum's attorneys said Tuesday that they intend to appeal the judge's decision over what they called a "botched response to a mentally ill person."
Pending the appeal, Linthicum will serve his time at the Patuxent Institution, a state correctional facility in Jessup, Maryland, which offers specialized programs for eligible offenders.
